February 02, 2009

Tandoori Chicken

So when we saw this tandoori chicken in Cook's Illustrated, we couldn't wait to try it.

How did our first foray into Indian cooking turn out?

The challenge with Tandoori chicken, according to Cook's, is two-fold. The traditional recipe requires a 24-hour marinade (which is a pain) and a 900-degree oven (which is, um, an impossibility for most of us).

Cook's reworks this recipe to utilize a traditional in-home oven, and it translates brilliantly.

It's actually a pretty easy and relatively quick dish to make (30 minutes of marinating and essentially 40 minutes to cook).

And the ingredients themselves aren't exotic, except for the garam masala. (Our Harris Teeter grocery store doesn't stock garam masala, but we found some at the local organic-foods store. Any specialty spice shop -- and probably even Whole Foods or Trader Joe's -- ought to have it, though.)

But the chicken! OH, the chicken! This cooking method gives you chicken that's nicely moist inside, with a terrific, salty char on the outside.

And it's amazing how just one tablespoon of garam masala can transform this dish and elevate it to such a different culinary experience.

That one tablespoon somehow enlivens the whole thing, enveloping the meat with a deliriously enticing, earthy scent. Mixed with the cumin and yogurt flavors, the dish is a tangle of fantastic exotic tastes.

We were thrilled with our first attempt at cooking Indian. We can't wait to try another dish soon!

4. After removing chicken from oven, turn oven to broil and heat 10 minutes. Once broiler is heated, flip chicken pieces over and broil until chicken is lightly charred in spots and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees for breasts and 15 for legs and thighs, 8 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5 minutes. Serve with chutney or relish, passing lime wedges separately.